Poroshenko's superweapon turned out to be rusty and unusable
Katran-M combat modules, which are positioned by Kiev as one of the most modern remote-controlled systems in the world, are assembled at a low technological level from low-quality materials
Izvestia writes about this, having at its disposal photographs of the inspection of Ukrainian boats detained by Russian border guards during last year’s incident in the Kerch Strait.
“Katran-M combat modules (BM) are positioned by Kiev as one of the most modern remote-controlled systems in the world. They are made entirely from Ukrainian components. But, as photo and video footage taken after the boats were towed by Russian sailors to Kerch showed, “Katran-M” was assembled at a low technological level and from low-quality materials,” the publication notes.
A rusted plaque with information about the manufacturer of the combat module indicates that it was manufactured at the Lenin Forge plant in Kiev, owned by President Poroshenko.
“The Katran-M installation itself - a 30-mm gun and a coaxial machine gun - is in a deplorable state. Rust is visible not only on the power elements of the module, but also on the bodies of the cannon and machine gun. The build quality of the combat installation also raises a lot of questions. Thus, the fire-hazardous rag insulating tape and plastic fasteners-leashes with which the wiring is attached to the power structures of the module are striking. To stabilize the barrel of a 30-mm cannon when firing, a homemade balancer was used, assembled from sheets of steel that were bolted together,” the newspaper writes.
“Katran” is actually assembled “on the knee”. Everything is done very roughly, the technical and production level of the product is low. It is obvious that such high-tech systems as combat modules cannot and should not be made at a second-rate shipyard. Their release is the prerogative of specialized enterprises and developers,” said Andrei Frolov, editor-in-chief of the Arms Export magazine.
“Katran-M” is assembled on the basis of a 2E36 weapon stabilizer with electric drives [developed back in the 70s]. However, the design and assembly are disgusting: large gaps in the gearbox are visible, which leads to poor accuracy and accuracy of fire while moving,” in turn, added an expert in the field of armored vehicles, reserve colonel Sergei Suvorov.
One of the commanders of small missile ships of the Russian Navy, looking at these pictures, explained to the publication why the Ukrainian sailors did not resist when they were detained.
“The combat module is made with backlashes, which reduces its combat effectiveness. Therefore, even theoretically, this boat could not fully use its main weapon, and therefore could not offer resistance at the time of detention. The shells simply would not have hit the target. But, judging by the video, not only the Leninskaya Kuznya, but also its crew is to blame for the unarmedness of the Berdyansk. It seems that the artillery installation has not been maintained at all for a long time,” the officer said.
In total, six small armored artillery boats of Project 58150 “Gyurza-M” were built for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and two more are being completed.
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